Phenol hydroxylation involves the oxidation of phenol (C6H5OH) using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to yield benzenediol (C6H4(OH)2), mainly catechol (CTL) and hydroquinone (HQ). These products are in high demand in the pharmaceuticals industry sector. Thus, it is still worth investigating for further improvement in terms of heterogeneous iron catalysts. Herein, this research focuses on an iron hematite (Fe2O3)-magnetite (Fe3O4) composite catalyst supported on SBA-15 using silica from cogon grass for phenol hydroxylation. The extracted silica exhibited a fine white powder appearance and an amorphous structure, used as a silica source for SBA-15 synthesis. After catalyst preparation, the presence of Fe2O3, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3-Fe3O4 composite on SBA-15 was confirmed by using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis provided insights into the surface of the catalyst, revealing that Fe2O3-Fe3O4/SBA-15 had the highest dispersion of iron species. In terms of catalytic performance, Fe2O3-Fe3O4/SBA-15 displayed the highest conversion of 88 % and HQ selectivity of 46 % compared with lone Fe3O4/SBA-15 or Fe2O3 /SBA-15. The magnetic separation approach demonstrated the easy separation of catalysts containing Fe3O4. Reusability studies showed that Fe2O3-Fe3O4/SBA-15 maintained its activity up to the 4th cycle, suggesting minimized iron leaching compared to Fe3O4/SBA-15. Overall, this study provides insights into the catalytic performance of phenol hydroxylation and iron-based catalysts, emphasizing the potential of Fe2O3-Fe3O4/SBA-15 as an effective and reusable catalyst.